Preservative means for ropes and the like



Feb. 18, 1936. A. w. KOON PRESERVATIVE MEANS FOR ROPES AND THE LIKE.

Filed Sept. 13, 1934 I l in grwcnfoc J7" 672,126 Wlfq O n,

Patented Feb. 18, 1936 PATENT OFFICE PRESERVATIVE MEANS FOR ROPES AND THE LIKE Archie W. Koon, Auburn, N. Y., assignor to Columbian Rope Company, Auburn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 1 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ropes, twlnes and like forms of cordage, and particularly to an improved method and means for protecting such structures against the destructive effect of various fungi and marine organisms.

Marine growths seriously affect all vegetable fiber ropes or other cordage used in water. This is true where the rope or other fibrous structure is used in either fresh or salt water, and partic-' ularly so in salt water. Various fungous growths, and other causes, some chemical and others physical, all play a part in greatly reducing the period of usefulness of such fibrous structures. To overcome these difilculties, it has been proposed to protect or preserve such fibrous structures, when used for marine purposes, in various ways, and 'the primary object of the present invention is to incorporate in ropes and other forms of cordage a preservative or protective element in such fashion as will eliminate certain disadvantages which are necessarily inherent in the methods heretofore proposed.

More specifically, one object of the invention is to provide a preservative element for ropes and the like which may extend throughout the length of the rope,- but which, if broken at any point intermediate its ends, will notpresent any ends at .the surface of the rope capable of pricking or injuring the hands of any one using the rope.

Another object is to minimize the cost .of incorporating a linear preservative element in the rope without sacrificing its preservative properties or reducing the protection afforded the rope.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a linear preservative element which may be conveniently handled, so to speak, by the various machines used in the manufacture of vegetable fiber twines, ropes, etc. In this connection, the location of the linear element can be governed at will.

Another object is to provide a preservative element of such a character that the loss-of preservative material by reason of diffusion in the water may be controlled and reduced to that minimum required for adequate protection, thereby extending the time of effective preservation.

A still further object is to incorporate the preservative material in the rope or twine without affecting the surface -color of the rope or twine, whereby the natural color of the fibers is retained on the surface and may be utilized in the ordinary way in judging the quality of the fibers.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction.

3, 1934, Serial No. 743,920

combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended'claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a short length of a linear preservative element; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a length of rope with the preservative element incorporated therein, one end of the rope being shown untwisted to more clearly illustrate said element.

The present invention is, of course, applicable for use in preserving various forms of cordage intended for marine use, but, in the present instance, there is simply illustrated a three-strand rope, each of said strands iii being formed of a plurality of yarns ii of spun fibers. As before mentioned, the fibers of the rope are subjected to various forms of pernicious marine growth, and to protect the fibers there is placed in the rope, preferably in one or more of the strands it, a linear preservative element l2, carrying a metallic compound which, when the rope is immersed, will be peptized and difiused through the rope fibers in the form of a substance toxic to said marine growths.

It has. heretofore been proposed to place lengths or particles of a metal, such as copper, in fish net twine and to saturate ropes with compounds such as copper oleate for preservative purposes, but both of these methods of preservation possess certain inherent disadvantages which are overcome in the present instance.

In carrying the present invention into practice, the linear preservative element I2 is non-metallic, preferably being formed of a vegetable fiber element such as a paper tape which may or may not be twisted, as shown. The preservative agent, which is incorporated in the tape and which will be peptized when the rope is immersed to produce a substance which is toxic to pernicious marine growths attacking the rope, may be either a metallic or an organic compound, although compounds such as copper sulphate or copper sulphide have been found to give very good results. The paper. tape, carrying the metallic. compound, is comparatively soft and flexible and can be run through the machines used in manufacturing the rope or rope elements. Another advantage of a fibrous preservative element which extends throughout the length of the rope is that, if said element should break at any point in the rope, there will be no possibility of loose ends or splinters of metal protruding beyond the surface of the rope to injure the hands of any! one handling the rope. This is also true where short lengths are used. Again the paper tape with the preservative agent therein is much cheaper as compared with the use of copper wires, and the finished article, particularly in the case of twine, is much more flexible.

The preservative element l2, carrying the preservative agent, is run into the rope or one of the structural elements thereof during production of the rope, and is preferably embedded in the interior remote from the rope surface; This is of importance because the color of the fibers constituting the rope elements at the exterior surface of the rope is not affected. In other words, the surface fibers retain their normal color, so that the color thereof can be relied upon as an accurate criterion of the quality of the rope. Also. the time of effective preservation is prolonged because loss of the preservative agent to the water by diffusion is retarded, or, for the same length of time of protection, more soluble and cheaper toxic compounds are available. To further control or reduce this loss to water by diffusion, it is also preferred to treat the paper tape with a diffusion-retarding agent, such as oil, grease, or gum-like agar. Where the paper or other element is treated with one of these retarding agents and with a metallic compound, such as copper sulphate or copper sulphide, migration or diffusion of copper ions across the other fibers of the rope into the water in which the rope is immersed will take place, and sufficient protection of the rope fiber against decay and the attachment of marine growth will be obtained for an extended length of time much more economically than would be the case if the entire rope were treated with an agent such as copper oleate. Preferably, the tape or other fibrous element [2 is continuous throughout the length of the rope, but it is clear that continuity is not essential.

When the preservative element 12 is composed of paper tape or other material capable of carrying identifying matter in the form of printing, said element can also be used as a marker by which the manufacturer can positively identifyhis product. This is especially advantageous where a continuous element is used, because the rope can be identified by examining it at any point throughout its length.

What is claimed is:

1. A vegetable fiber rope, twine or like structure having incorporated therein at a point remote from the-surface thereof a linear, non-metallic element containing a copper compound which when immersed in water will be diffused until exhausted by the action of the water through the rope in the form of a substance toxic to pernicious marine growths attacking said rope, said element being embedded in the rope remote from the rope surface whereby the fibers at the surface of the rope are originally without stain by said compound.

2. A vegetable fiber rope, twine or like structure composed of a plurality of elements such as yarns, strands and the like, a paper tape extending longitudinally of said rope and containing a metallic compound which when immersed in water will be peptized and diffused until exhausted through the rope elements, in the form of a substance toxic to pernicious marine growth attacking the rope, and said tape being concealed within the interior of said rope.

3. A vegetable fiber rope, twine or the like composed of elements such as yarns, strands or the like, a linear paper element extending throughout the length of said rope beneath the surface thereof, said paper containing a copper compound capable of being diffused through the rope fibers by peptization when immersed in water, and said paper being treated with a diffusion-retarding agent, whereby the preservative properties of said compound will be retained over a protracted period of time when the rope is immersed.

4. The method of preserving vegetable fiber,

rope, twine and the like from attacks of marine animals and micro-organisms, which consists in incorporating in a linear, non-metallic element a copper compound which when immersed in water will be diffused by peptization through the rope in the form of a substance toxic to such marine animals and organisms, incorporating said linear element with said compound in said rope or other structure longitudinally of the latter at a point remote from the surface thereof, and subsequently submerging said rope in water to effect peptization of said compound.

5. The method of preserving vegetable fiber rope, twine and the like from attacks of marine animals and micro-organisms, which consists in incorporating in a. length of paper a metallic compound which when immersed in water will be diffused by peptization through the rope in the form of a substance toxic to such marine animals and organisms, incorporating said paper with said compound in said rope or other fibrous structure longitudinally of the latter at a point remote from the surface thereof, and subsequently submerging said rope with the incorporated paper and compound in water to effect peptization of said compound.

ARCHIE W. KOON. 

